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Author: Marillia Veldkornet

9 July 2020 Media Release: Essential workers from GRDM continue to do their best to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Media Release: Essential workers from GRDM continue to do their best to prevent the spread of COVID-19

For immediate release
9 July 2020

During the past weekend (3-5 July 2020) essential workers from Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) continued with their schedule to disinfect areas in George in their endeavour to reduce the risk of the transmission of the COVID-19 Coronavirus in the district.

The latest charts issued by the Western Cape Department of Health, illustrating the hotspots identified in the George area.

Fourteen (14) Environmental Health Practitioners and 12 Firefighters from GRDM accompanied by Municipality’s Portfolio Chairperson for Community Services, Cllr Khayalethu Lose, with the assistance of the South African Police Services, formed part of the operation.  The disinfection took place at areas located in Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, Lawaaikamp and Maraiskamp, with the focus on reaching the emerging hotspots in George.  Routine visits to those in self-quarantine or self-isolation at their private residences also formed part of the operation. This is done to ensure that members of the public adhere to the regulated COVID-19 protocols and for team to continue with contact tracing. It is also welcomed by patients because a time in isolation or quarantine can be lonely.

The Garden Route District Municipal team disinfecting various areas in George.

In the Thembalethu area, the Shopping Square, 30 taxis and the garage area were disinfected, as well as the inside of shops and business premises. According to GRDM Station Officer: Fire & Safety Training, Mr Deon Stoffels, who supervises the operations, these businesses include: barbers, hair salons, timber shops and car spares shops. “The operation continued in Pacaltsdorp with the outside of the food retail stores and all other places where many feet pass through,” he said. In the Rosemoor residential area, all main shops and four spaza shops in Protea Park were also disinfected.The operation continued in Pacaltsdorp with the outside of Spar, the Mingo Camp and all main shops that were disinfected,” he said. In the Rosemoor residential area, all main shops and four spaza shops in Protea Park were also disinfected.

As part of the programme, bottles of disinfectant, hand sanitisers and soap are handed over to the owners and/or representatives of the respective public areas, as well as patients/contacts at private residences to ensure they and the environment they live in, are kept hygienic and safe.

According to Mr Johan Compion, Manager for Municipal Health and Environmental Services at GRDM, visits to disinfect these spots were not randomly done. He explained: “These areas were identified as hotspots or to reach patients who have tested positive for COVID-19”.  Compion further said:  “During our visits to especially the private residences, 3.77% of these were non-compliant, but we issued notices of warning to all who did not comply to the regulations that were put in place by the Western Cape Department of Health”.

“As part of the continued programme, we plan to visit and disinfect more areas in the Garden Route,” Mr Clive Africa, GRDM Executive Manager for Community Services, said.  He concluded and confirmed that areas in Mossel Bay and Knysna will be the next areas where similar exercises will be conducted in the upcoming weeks.

[ENDS]

Media Release: EPWP essential workers to assist at Covid-19 hotspots in the Garden Route

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) as a member of the National Joints (NatJoints) Committee, has to respond to combating the spread of COVID-19 in terms of the Disaster Management Act, No 57 of 2002, as stipulated in the NatJoints Containment Work Stream.

The DPWI has identified the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Non-State Sector (NSS) Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) as the best response mechanism to support the Department of Health to deliver necessary public health services at elementary level for purposes of COVID-19 spread prevention and control. To give effect to this commitment, DPWI has signed a three month addendum with the Independent Development Trust, on 12 April 2020, to contract qualifying NPOs throughout the country in 44 districts and 8 metros, to appoint youth (16-35 years) to participate in this initiative. The NPOs will also be required to sign three month contracts with each EPWP participant. The Garden Route district was allocated 119 participants for the first category of the COVID-19 response (George 41, Hessequa 23, Mossel Bay 15, Oudtshoorn 12, Bitou 10, Knysna 10 and Kannaland 8).

All participants will perform their duties under the supervision of the Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). Their activities will include the following:

  • health promotion on COVID-19 prevention, hand washing practices and social distancing measures in public places;
  • distribution of hygiene soap and hand sanitizers in identified high risk communities, education on proper handwashing techniques;
  • home-to-home education interventions, where required; and
  • cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched high-risk areas, e.g. communal water collection points, taxi ranks and other places identified by the applicable municipality.

Furthermore the DPWI has issued Personal Protective Equipment and identification cards to the NPOs which must be used by participants while they are on duty.

GRDM EHPs had to identify the hotspots within the Local Municipal areas and guide the participants through an orientation programme to outline their work.

The orientation/ training programme

 The Municipal Health Section of the GRDM was tasked to train the EPWP personnel in line with the Golden rules to prevent/minimise the spread of COVID-19 in the district. The training programme took place at the beginning of June 2020 and included the following disciplines:

  • Wearing of face masks in public areas and while travelling with other individuals in a vehicle (i.e. lift clubs, taxi, bus and/or any other form of public transport);
  • maintaining a social distance of 1.5m;
  • proper hand washing techniques;
  • avoid touching your face with unwashed hands;
  • proper cough etiquette;
  • waste management (i.e. disposable masks and gloves); and
  • avoiding crowded places as far as it is possible.

After undergoing orientation, appointed EPWP participants will conduct awareness at “hotspots” areas which were identified as problematic areas within communities to ensure that all members of the public remain adequately informed to protect themselves.

These “hotspots” areas include;

  • general public facilities, including municipal/ public toilets, taxi ranks etc.;
  • food premises – spaza shops;
  • soup kitchens;
  • informal settlements; and
  • government grant pay points – ATM’s, post offices and/or any other business premises which are utilised to distribute grants.
EPWP workers trained by GRDM Environmental Health Practitioners to assist at hotspots within the Garden Route district.

Executive Mayor of GRDM, Cllr Memory Booysen, extended a word of appreciation to all stakeholders involved in the programme and highlighted: “As a municipality we are glad for the appointment of the EPWP personnel, as all participants will be a great addition to the initiatives of the GRDM in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic”.

The following stakeholders are involved in the coordination of this project; DPWI, Independent Development Trust, NPOs Edu-Plett and God Care International, Department of Employment and Labour, GRDM and Local Municipalities in the Garden Route district.

For more information regarding the project, contact,

Mr Mzimkulu Gusha, National Public Works Programme Manager

Tel: 021 402 2164 / 076 423 7558

Mr Richard Dyantyi, Manager: EPWP at Garden Route District Municipality

Tel: 044 803 1404 / 084 900 5556

Mr Johan Compion, Manager: Municipal Health at Garden Route District Municipality

Tel: 044 803 1525 / 082 803 5161

22 June 2020 Invitation to participate in the Household Composting Pilot Project: Bitou and Oudtshoorn Municipalities

Garden Route District Municipality, in collaboration with Bitou and Oudtshoorn Municipalities, will roll out a Household Composting Pilot Project in the Bitou and Oudtshoorn municipal areas.  Approximately 30% of household waste being disposed of at landfill consists of organic waste that could potentially be diverted from landfill by means of household composting.  Further, household composting could subsequently result in a huge waste management cost saving and put sorely needed nutrients back into our soil.

The pilot project will run for the duration of one year and the data collected will be used to motivate the further roll out of the project to all households in the Bitou and Oudtshoorn municipal areas.  Permanent residents in the Bitou and Oudtshoorn areas are invited to apply for participation in the pilot project.

It must be noted that provision was made to accommodate only thirty (30) households per municipality in the pilot project who will be provided with a composting bin, and / or a worm farm, a scale and data sheets.  Due to the limited number, the first thirty applications per municipality received will be selected to participate in the project.

All applicants must conform to the following criteria:

  • Must reside permanently in the Bitou or Oudtshoorn municipal areas for the duration of the pilot project (at least one year).
  • Must attend an information session regarding the composting project that will be held in Bitou and in Oudtshoorn respectively. (This may be an online / virtual session due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
  • Must be willing to participate in the pilot project and report organic waste quantities on a monthly basis for the duration of the pilot project (one year).
  • Composting bins will only be distributed to households with a garden / lawn generating green waste.
  • Households / apartments that do not have gardens / yards i.e. that generate green waste can be provided with only a worm farm for kitchen scraps etc.

Application forms to participate in the pilot project can be obtained from the following link: https://www.gardenroute.gov.za/document-category/application-forms/.

Completed application forms must be sent to wayne@gardenroute.gov.za by no later than Friday 10 July 2020.

For any enquiries please contact  Mr Wayne Odendaal on 044 693 0006.

Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport relief funding application process update

18 June 2020

In response to the adverse implications the global health pandemic and subsequent national lockdown imposed on the cultural and sport sector, the Western Cape Government resolved to fund provincial athletes and artists through a relief and recovery package application process.

The call for applications officially opened on 5 May and closed on 19 May 2020. Pivotal to providing financial assistance from the Western Cape Government is ensuring objective criteria, an independent and competent adjudication panel and further motivating documentation to evaluate and confirm the needs of those we serve.
As all applications received have now been consolidated and verified, the adjudication process has commenced and is scheduled to be concluded on Friday, 19 June 2020.

Once concluded, the adjudicating panels will compile a report and present their findings to the department. These will be reviewed by top management and will be followed by a formal submission for administrative process.
Once approved, applicants will be informed of their outcome and the process to transfer relief funds to beneficiaries will begin. Transfers may be delayed in instances where compliance documents were not in place at the time of application. Kindly note that compliance documents were not used to disqualify any applicant, but they will be required to process transfers to beneficiaries.

To ensure a competent and independent adjudication process, it was required of adjudicators to promote objectivity informed by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) values and ethics guiding this transparent Covid-19 Relief Funding process.

Equally important, the adjudicators are representatives from the Sport and Recreation and Cultural, Heritage and Arts sectors, with a track record in working to ensure the respective sector is sustained and resilient. Fulfilling the important role of adjudication, the following representatives, amongst others, are included:

  • The Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation, that administers, promotes and monitors all sport through its federation members in the Western Cape;
  • Seasoned Sport Administrators in the region;
  • The Western Cape Cultural Commission;
  • The Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa;
  • Internationally established arts administrators, production managers, directors and designers.

Minister Anroux Marais said, “As the application process progressed, we received various enquiries, mostly on the National Department of Sport and Culture’s (DSAC) communication and payment processing ahead of our provincial process.

This resulted in some applicants who had applied for both the national and provincial funding, misinterpreting the national communication as our provincial communication, which is not the case as our adjudication process is only now underway. I can also confirm that technical complications led to some applicants not receiving the automated acknowledgement of receipt. However, each applicant will receive official correspondence informing on their respective application(s) outcome”.

During these unprecedented times in which we are to be physically distanced, the DCAS remains proactively committed to our vision of a socially inclusive, active and connected Western Cape. To maintain transparency, further updates, once confirmed, will be communicated in due course.

Media Enquiries:

Stacy McLean
Spokesperson to Minister Anroux Marais
083 504 1171

Tania Colyn
Head of Communications
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
076 093 4913

16 June 2020 PRESS STATEMENT: First Positive Covid-19 case at Garden Route District Municipality and Temporary Closure of Head-Office

For Immediate Release 

16 June 2020

From Wednesday, 17 June 2020, the Head-Office of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) in George will be temporary closed, due to an employee who tested positive for Covid-19.

Executive Mayor of GRDM, Cllr Memory Booysen, when confirming the first Covid-19 positive case of the municipality, said:  “Although the person was working from home and had less interaction with colleagues, the employee occasionally came to our offices and it is our duty as a municipality to follow all related protocols. We immediately took the necessary precautions and are implementing all measures such as closing the building, disinfecting, fogging, etc. to ensure the safety of the rest of the GRDM employees”.

Officials disinfecting the Head-Office of Garden Route District Municipality.

All GRDM satellite offices in the district will continue with normal working operations; however the Head-Office will be closed despite the District Command Centre that is stationed at the Head-Office being the centre point to coordinate Covid-19 related activities in the district.  The temporary closure of the building will therefore allow the municipality to take the necessary precautions related to the Covid-19 protocols.

The person is already in isolation and the process to trace all persons who were in contact with the employee, is underway.   All processes will be conducted in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Health.  Mayor Booysen concluded by extending a word of appreciation on behalf of Council and Management to the employee, who immediately informed management of the test results. He wished the employee a speedy recovery and also wished all those who might have been in contact with the employee well, during this time.

The Strategic Manager in the Office of the Municipal Manager, Mr Thembani Loliwe, confirmed that the office will reopen on Monday, 22 June 2020 and he further stated that no person will be allowed into the office, including officials and members of the public until the reopening of the building. “We therefore encourage all staff and members of the public to be patient with us while we put these measures in place and ensuring a safe working environment for our employees”.

As we enter the peak period of the pandemic, every person will be at risk of contracting the virus, therefore it is important that we adhere to all principles to prevent the spread of the virus. Stay at home, if you can work from home. Make sure that you keep a 1.5 meter distance between yourself and the next person, wear a clean cloth mask when you have to go out, wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. If you feel sick also stay at home and seek urgent medical care when experiencing difficulty breathing.

For more information, contact:

Mr Thembani Loliwe,

Strategic Manager in the Office of the Municipal Manager

Tel: 067 038 7668 / E-mail: thembani@gardenroute.gov.za

 

-ENDS-

15 June 2020 DSD donates essential food items to homeless shelters in the Garden Route district

For Immediate Release
15 June 2020

On Wednesday, 10 June 2020, the Disaster Management Centre of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) collected food items from the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) in Cape Town to assist shelters situated in all municipal areas with food relief.

Essential food items donated by the Western Cape Department of Social Development on 10 June 2020 to provide food relief to the homeless of the Garden Route district.

Mr Gerhard Otto, Manager of Disaster Management at GRDM, applied for food relief with a list of specified items on 4 June 2020, after sending a request for assistance to the DSD. The request was approved on 8 June 2020. This assistance came at a crucial time after Oudtshoorn and Bitou municipalities shortly before Otto’s request, indicated the need for essential food items at their respective shelters for homeless people. Itemba in Oudtshoorn accommodates 18 homeless, while Native Roots, situated in Plettenberg Bay, accommodates 40 persons.  Homeless persons are not only accommodated at these shelters, but are also cared for during the COVID-19 pandemic and kept safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.

Preparation of the food will be done at kitchens approved by the GRDM Municipal Health Services section. The kitchens will be well-managed by non-governmental and faith based organisations in the respective municipal areas. Soup kitchens supported by the respective municipalities will also benefit from this donation. The items approved and donated by DSD, include: porridge, beef and chicken soup, juice, pasta, mince, chicken casserole, maize meal and pilchards.

Executive Mayor of GRDM, Cllr Memory Booysen, welcomed the donation and extended a word of gratitude to DSD for assisting the Garden Route district with essential food items. Mayor Booysen said: “This donation from the DSD is confirmation of our good working relations with provincial departments.  It is important that we continue with our efforts to explore any possibility to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of our residents, most importantly the most vulnerable – this donation is a result thereof”.

ENDS

10 June 2020 FOR PUBLIC COMMENT – Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan 2020/2021

10 June 2020

FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

The Garden Route District Municipality Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan 2020/2021 is available for public comment.

Click here to download the PDF document for your perusal.

Closing date for comments is 24 June 2020.

All comments must be forwarded to:

Ms Ilse Saaiman

Manager: Performance Management

E-mail: pms@gardenroute.gov.za / (c) 065 821 7904

8 June 2020 Severe Weather Alerts (Strong Winds & Veld Fire Conditions)

The Cape Town Weather Office has issued the following severe weather alerts:

HAZARD 1: Veld Fire Conditions
Alert Level: Warning
Valid From (SAST): 08/06/20 08h00
Valid To (SAST): 08/06/20 18h00

Expected over the Central Karoo, Garden Route and the northern part of Cape Winelands (W.Cape) tomorrow (08/06/2020).

HAZARD 2: Damaging Winds
Alert Level: Advisory
Valid From (SAST): 09/06/20 00h00
Valid To (SAST): 11/06/20 00h00

Strong interior winds (50 to 70km/h) are expected over the Cape Winelands, Central Karoo and the Garden Route municipalities (W.Cape) on Tuesday (09/06/2020).

DESCRIPTION: Strong damaging winds
Strong damaging winds often occur along coastal regions, but also often occur during thunderstorm activity. These winds are sudden and can cause much damage.

PRECAUTIONS: Strong damaging winds
Stay indoors where possible away from the windows that open towards the severe winds. Be aware of the following: – sudden cross winds if traveling especially between buildings, fallen trees or power lines and flying debris.
Small boats must stay away from the open sea and seek the shelter of a harbour, river estuary or protected bay.
Parked aircraft should be pointed into the direction of the wind and secured Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.

DESCRIPTION: Dangerous veld/bush fire conditions
Whenever there are prolonged periods of little and no rain coupled with warm dry winds, veldt or bush fires can easily be sparked and will spread rapidly in strong winds.

PRECAUTIONS: Dangerous veld/bush fire conditions
Don’t make fires in the open and/or leave fires unattended. Don’t throw cigarette butts out of cars or in the open veldt. Don’t throw bottles in the veldt as they can magnify the sun’s rays and start fires. Prepare and maintain fire breaks in controlled manner. In the case of a large fire report it immediately and move away from the area to let the professionals deal with it. Never throw water onto a fire started by an electrical fault or fires started by oil or paraffin lamps. In this case sand or a blanket should be used to smother the fire. Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.

2 June 2020 Amendment of the Rules of Order regulating the Conduct of Meetings By-Law

FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

Notice is hereby given that the Garden Route District Municipal Council has approved in principle the amendment of the Rules of Order regulating the conduct of meetings By-law, published in the Provincial Gazette No. 6469 of 28 September 2007.

The document was considered by the Garden Route District Municipality at a District Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 May 2020.

The document is be available for public inspection and comments on the Garden Route District Municipality’s website at www.gardenroute.gov.za, from 02 June 2020.

All comments and inputs must be directed to “The Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George, 6530”

The public has 21 days to comment on the aforementioned document from the publication date of this notice.

For any enquiries, please contact the Manager: Integrated Support Services and Legal Compliance, Adv Sinekaya Maqekeni, at 044 803 1383.

MG STRATU

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Notice Number:  26/2020